Passion In Action: Ben Law's Woodland House

In 2003 Ben Law captivated the British public by building his own Woodland House. His project was televised on Channel 4's Grand Designs programme. So brilliant and remarkable was his feat that his Woodland House was voted the best Grand Design project of all time and a book has been written about his journey (see book list on the right).

The book is a visual story of a man realising a lifetime's dream to build one of the most sustainable and beautiful homes in Britain - a man fuelled by the energy that is PASSION.

We all know that people who are passionate about what they do are more likely to

1. Love what they do
2. Stay focused and engaged
3. Show commitment
4. Bring others to help their cause because they show an enthusiasm that is infectious
5. Think creatively to push pass barriers
6. Give discretionary effort - ie. do what is necessary to get the job done
7. Achieve their personal vision and goals

Ben Law and his Woodland House is a fantastic example of the power of passion.

For 10 years, Ben lived in the middle of woodlands in the heart of the Sussex countryside. Throughout the 10 years, he lived under an open canopy earning his living as a woodsman by handcrafting furniture. Come rain, snow, sunshinre, spring, summer, autumn and winter, he stayed outdoors. He lived his values and beliefs which are about sustainable living.

Towards the end of the 10 years, he put an application to the local authority to build a Woodland House. This was eventually accepted but on the condition that the house can never be sold. It can be passed down the family but not sold. Ben accepted the condition and the building began. Here are the facts:

1. He never used any power tools on site (there was no power in the middle of the forest)
2. He handcrafted practically all the building material (the floorboards were the only exception)
3. He hand cut 12,000 shingles (roof tiles)
4. He enlisted likeminded individuals to help - all volunteering their services free of charge
5. As more people heard about the build, more people drop by to help - some had took it as a holiday to help and to learn how to build an environmentally friendly house using material from a sustainable source.
6. The finished project cost him just £28,000 ... YES that's right ... £28,000 (US $56,000).

Would anyone considered Ben a leader before he started the build? No. But as his passion shined through and provided the fuel to keep him going ... he showed not just passion to those around him, but he also become a leader. This is because he also showed:

1. Ideals - his person vision that he was bringing alive
2. Hope - he didn't just remainded optimistic that things will work out, but he took action
3. Curiosity - he had the humility to understand he got weaknesses and need other experts to help him (ecologists)
4. Growing himself - he learnt to be patient and to become a site project manager
5. Growing others - he taught others his skills, freely so that they may take up his cause (sustainable living)
6. Courage - bags of that as he did not hire an architect to do the drawing nor to manage the project
7. Resilience - 10 years of open air living. Need I say more.

Here's an interesting thought. The week after Ben's house was aired, a £1.9 million (US$3.8M) project was shown. That project ran over time, over budget (by £900k).

We often talk about being successful as part of leadership. In this comparison, which project demonstrated the most success? Is it the guy who now owns a £1.9M house or the Woodsman who build the most beautifully handcrafted house for £28,000?

You decide.